The next stevia: Lo Han Guo

Lo Han Guo, a Chinese fruit, is much sweeter than white sugar and is a low calorie option. Mix this alternative, natural sweetener into smoothies or bake it in your favorite holiday dessert.

If you’ve experimented with better-for-you sweeteners like agave, stevia, and xylitol, give lo han guo a try. Also known as monk fruit, this Chinese fruit is 300 times sweeter than white sugar (meaning you need a lot less) and is quickly developing buzz as a natural low-glycemic, low-calorie option. Tailor-made for adding to smoothies, tea, or yogurt, lo han guo has a high-temp tolerance that is well-suited to sweetening holiday goodies.

Works similar to stevia

Substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for 1 cup sugar when baking, and substitute for no more than half the sugar. Lo han guo is also appearing as a sweetener in packaged foods and even supplements.